Updated: 2023-05-18 06:58:00 EDT


Purpose

This webpage/report is intended to aggregate information from different agencies (i.e. USACE, SFWMD, FWC, USGS and NOAA) into one spot to help inform local government agencies and stakeholders on conditions within Lake Okeechobee, the Caloosahatchee River and Estuary and Coastal southwest Florida. The data provided here should be considered preliminary and are subject to change.


USACE Data Summary

Daily discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 14-days. Data Source: USACE

Date

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake 1

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP 2

05-17

5478

3293

4032

459

2283

1093

1343

672

0

11

415

280

-127

301

05-16

4391

3372

4071

372

736

1113

998

486

0

15

446

244

468

337

1,681.983

05-15

2711

1711

2940

275

161

974

551

428

0

4

502

0

538

387

1,683.966

05-14

2085

1744

2488

173

153

952

599

446

0

22

0

0

0

0

05-13

3511

1976

2734

226

163

990

950

448

0

15

500

240

738

347

1,678.016

05-12

4155

2885

3759

422

177

686

720

375

0

11

484

67

702

766

1,691.900

05-11

5336

3653

4672

434

157

0

553

424

0

23

514

125

474

837

1,719.668

05-10

5359

4025

4939

123

119

0

545

438

583

8

526

36

641

847

1,769.255

05-09

4050

3223

3918

50

93

0

653

345

286

11

545

109

585

998

1,822.809

05-08

2890

1950

2563

-46

147

0

908

313

547

15

536

264

577

1404

1,737.520

05-07

3840

2191

2772

-9

159

0

0

280

250

18

1027

226

605

1692

1,723.635

05-06

2789

2036

2105

-27

161

0

0

307

0

41

422

218

470

1983

1,666.115

05-05

1771

1313

2287

4

161

0

0

274

0

0

458

593

575

2515

1,392.396

1 Includes discharges from Fisheating Creek, S71, S72, S84, S84X, S65E, and S65EX1

2 Estimated as S12s+(S333+S333N)-S356. If no data is present (i.e. -NR-) either S12s, S333s or S356 data is not available.

Average and total net discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 7-days. Data Source: USACE

Statistic

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP

Average

3952

2662

3528

337

547

830

816

469

0

14

409

137

399

425

1,691.107

Total

27667

18634

24696

2361

3828

5808

5714

3281

0

101

2860

956

2793

2975

8,455.533

Average and total net discharge volume in Acre-Feet per day for the last 14-days. Data Source: USACE

Statistic

S77

S78

S79

S310

S351

S352

S354

L8

S308

S80

NthLake

WCA1

WCA2

WCA3

ENP

Average

3721

2567

3329

189

359

447

602

403

128

15

490

185

480

955

1,687.933

Total

48367

33372

43280

2456

4667

5808

7821

5238

1666

194

6375

2402

6246

12415

18,567.263

Caloosahatchee Conditions Summary: Flow to the Caloosahatchee Estuary had a 7-day average of 1,779 cfs at S-79 with a 7-day average of 1,993 cfs (112%) coming from the lake at S-77. The 14-day moving average flow at S-79 is 1,653 cfs and has been in the optimal flow envelope (750 - 2100 cfs; RECOVER 2020) for 35 days.

Lake Flows: In the past 7 days the total outflow from Lake Okeechobee was 48,659 AF with 27,667 AF to the Caloosahatchee through S-77, 2,361 AF through S-310 in Clewiston, and 15,350 AF to the EAA through S-351, S-352, and S-354. The total net inflow to the Lake was 2,860 AF (2,860 AF from Fisheating Creek, S-71, S-72, S-84s, S-65EX, and S-65EX1) . Water conservation areas received flows of 956 AF, 2,793 AF, and 2,975 AF at WCA1, WCA2, and WCA3, respectively. Everglades National Park received 8,456 AF.


Lake Okeechobee Level: 13.81 ft (Operational Management Band)

Lake Okeechobee Inflow: 233 cfs

Last Week: 14.06 ft

Lake Okeechobee Outflow: 3894 cfs

Weekly Rainfall Total:

WP Franklin ≥ 0.00”

Ortona ≥ 0.00”

Moore Haven ≥ 0.00”


Lake Okeechobee


Stage Elevation

Lake Okeechobee daily average stage elevation for water year 2024 (WY2024) relative to the last two water years (red line) relative to the Lake Okeechobee Regulation Schedule (LORS) .

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Stage and recession rates this time for the current and last three water years

Date
(Month-Day)

Water Year

Stage
(ft, NGVD29)

7-Day Recession Rate
(ft 7-d⁻¹)

30-Day Recession Rate
(ft 30-d⁻¹) B

05-17

2021

11.00

-0.20

- NR -

05-17

2022

13.44

-0.27

-0.75

05-17

2023

12.67

-0.14

-0.72

05-17

2024

13.85 A

-0.21

-0.49

A Value estimated from average stage height across L001, L005, L006, LZ40, S133TW, S352HW & S4TW

B -0.5 ft 30-d⁻¹ maximum 30-day Recession Rate for HAB Deviation

  • As of 05/17/2023 the mean stage elevation in Lake Okeechobee is within the Operational Low Sub- Management Band at a stage elevation of 13.85 feet (NGVD29).

Lake Okeechobee 7-day and 30-day water level recession/ascension rates during WY2024. Negative values indicate falling water levels (recession) and positive values indicate raising water level (ascension) during this 7-day period .

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Lake Okeechobee 7-day water level recession/ascension rates stop-light metric relative to the draft Snail Kite Performance Measure.

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Regional Rainfall

Weekly (05/11 - 05/17) rainfall totals along the Caloosahatchee River

Mointoring Location 1

Weekly
Rainfall
Total
(inches) 2

S79 (WP Franklin)

0.0

S78 (Ortona)

0.0

S77 (Moore Haven)

0.0

1 Data Source: SFWMD DBHYDRO (DBKEYS 16414,15495,16415) and USACE reports

2 Based on data from 05/11/2023 - 05/17/2023


Relative Algae Condition

Sonde monitoring locations within Lake Okeechobee conducted by SFWMD.


Daily Chlorophyll, Phycocyanin,relative ratio of Phycocyanin (Phyco) relative to Phyco and Chlorophyll (Chl) and Turbidity within Lake Okeechobee monitored by SFWMD. Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin are plotted on log-scale. Thresholds of concern/risk identified for Chlorophyll (20 and 40 μg/L) and Phycocyanin (40 μg/L; Cotterill et al 2019 & Macário et al 2015).

Data are provisional and subject to change.

  • Cotterill et al (2019) Phycocyanin sensors as an early warning system for cyanobacteria blooms concentrations: a case study in the Rotorua lakes. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 53:555–570.
  • Macário et al (2015) New insights towards the establishment of phycocyanin concentration thresholds considering species-specific variability of bloom-forming cyanobacteria. Hydrobiologia 757:155–165.


Weekly mean water quality sonde Chlorophyll and Phycocyanin concentration at monitoring locations across Lake Okeechobee

Site

7-day Mean
Chlorophyll Conc.
(μg L⁻¹) 1

7-day Mean
Phycocyanin Conc.
(μg L⁻¹) 1

Green Algal
Concern Category 2

Blue-green Algae
Concern Category 3

L001

39

2

Warning

Min. Concern

L005

26

127

Warning

High Concern

L006

13

9

Min. Concern

Min. Concern

LZ40

10

36

Min. Concern

Min. Concern

POLESOUT1

59

10

High Concern

Min. Concern

POLESOUT3

18

2

Min. Concern

Min. Concern

1 Based on data from 05/12/2023 - 05/18/2023

2 Chlorophyll Categories:
Min. Concern: values < 20 μg L⁻¹
Warning: values ≥ 20μg L⁻¹ and <40 μg L⁻¹
High Concern: values ≥ 40 μg L⁻¹

3 Phycocyanin Categories:
Min. Concern: values < 40 μg L⁻¹
High Concern: values ≥ 40 μg L⁻¹

Algae Coverage

Cyanobacteria Index for Lake Okeechobee for 2023-05-17 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Cyanobacteria Index for Lake Okeechobee for 2023-05-17 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)



Average daily windspeed and direction and cyanobacteria algal bloom coverage of Lake Okeechobee. Data from NOAA NCCOS HAB data explorer.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Blue-Green Algae Sampling Results

Blue-green Algae sampling results for the last 30-days for the 10 county area (Lee, Collier, Hendry, Glades, Okeechobee, Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade and Monroe). Data from FDEP Blue-green algae dashboard

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Of the 75 samples collected, cyanobacteria was dominate in 22 samples, 4 samples had toxins present ranging from 0.38 to 150 μg L⁻¹ (does not include non-detects).



Caloosahatchee River Estuary

Discharge

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last six months.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Fort Myers Yacht Basin salinity (SCCF-RECON) and S79 discharge (SFWMD) data for the last last 30 days.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) and S-79 (to Tidal Basin) flow data along the C-43 and Caloosahatchee River. C-43 Basin Flow was calculated as the difference from S-77 and S-79.

Data are provisional and subject to change.


Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 6-month period.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Daily, 14-day moving average and 30-day moving average discharge for S-79 relative to the Northern Estuaries RECOVER performance measure and the established minimium flows and levels (MFLs) for the recent 30-day period.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

  • As of May 17, discharges conditions are within the optimum RECOVER salinity envelope.


Cumulative discharge for S-79 (to Tidal Basin) and S-77 (from Lake Okeechobee) for the last three Florida Water Years (May - April). Day of water year is analogous to day of year with Day 1 = May 1st.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Estuary Salinity

Daily average bottom salinity data for the last 14-days from sampling locations within the tidal Caloosahatchee River Estuary relative to oyster health (Sanibel, Shell Point and Cape Coral) and tape grass (Vallisneria americana) health (Ft. Myers only) conditions.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red Tide Abundance


Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program.Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program.Data are provisional and subject to change.

Red tide sampling results for the last 30-days from just south of Tampa Bay to the Florida Keys. Data from NOAA HABSOS Program

Data are provisional and subject to change.

Count of samples within each abundance category within the greater Caloosahatchee River Estuary (see grey box on map)

Cell Abundance (Cells L⁻¹)

Number
of
Samples

not present/background (0-1,000)

22

very low (>1,000-10,000)

7

low (>10,000-100,000)

2

medium (>100,000-1,000,000)

---

high (>1,000,000)

---


Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2023-05-17 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Chlorophyll fluorescence for coastal southwest Florida for 2023-05-17 (Data Source: NOAA NCCOS)

Red Tide Forecast

Red Tide Prediction and Tracking for coastal Southwest Florida from FWC and USF link.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Upper and lower water column HAB (Red Tide) forecasted trajectories from Ocean Circulation Group at USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.

Statewide Gulf of Mexico coastal Red Tide forecast from FWC and USF.


Charlotte Harbor

Discharge

Daily discharge into Charlotte Harbor from major rivers and creeks. Data source: USGS. Grey dashed lines between points indicate a potential data gap with values linearly interpolated.

Data are provisional and subject to change.

 

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